Good reading light: visual comfort perception and daylight integration in library spaces

Abstract

Daylight creates an ambience of quiet tranquillity and visual comfort to link the modern library user, psychologically, with the space they occupy. In order to provide comfortable and glare-free light in reading spaces, volumes and surfaces illuminated with natural light have played a significant role. There should be optimum natural light which provides comfort for the user, albeit without the negative aspects of glare and heat. We Focus on ‘Good Reading Light’: Visual Comfort Perception and Daylight Integration in Library Spaces. Research problems evaluate the ‘Perceived Reading Light Level’, why and in what way daylight should be integrated into the indoor environment in a library space, to realize light-related goals of visual comfort. The research method consists of two parts; the Reading Light Test and the Perceptual Spatial Analysis (PERCIFAL). A group of twenty architecture students were surveyed for both components. The results show that Visual Comfort Perception depends on strategies adopted for daylight integration and that most reading spaces were perceived to be over lit. Conclusions drawn highlight that top lighting strategies and a combination of clerestory and side lighting are more effective than only side lighting via windows - as daylight control in public library spaces are difficult.